Are Kimbers More Reliable Now?

Kimber does indeed make some pretty ads. I'll give them that.

Probably why two-thirds of the customers at my LGS seem to think that Kimber represents the pinnacle of the 1911 world. :rolleyes: I have no interest in owning one. There are substantially better values at every price point in Kimber's lineup.
 
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Kimber has had nice glossy full color adds in almost every gun mag out there for years.
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I have always laughed at goofy comments like this that have been regurgitated across the forums for the last ten years. I mean can't you come up with something you didn't read on some other forum or post.
 
Which is why I wrote, to repeat:

Ruger has a lifetime service policy that is functionally equivalent to Sig's and Springfield's lifetime warranties.

I understand, HKFan9, you are basically a one-man Kimber apologist here, but it would be helpful if you actually read what I wrote instead of whatever you wished.

I do not have your experience, but I had a bad experience with Kimber and mostly good ones with Kahr, Ruger, Sig, and Springfield, a pattern that seems to be consistent with many opinions on the internet if not with yours.
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I was stating they have no lifetime anything. Ruger can at any time... refuse to see a gun. They have no written warranty as does Browning. Like I said, Ruger has GREAT customer service, however it is a very big misconception they have lifetime anything.

I am not a one man Kimber aologist, I can care less if a group of random strangers on the internet like them or not. Just simply sharing my experiences with them and other brands. I do not even work on commission.

I am not trying to negate your negative experience with Kimber, it happens, as does it with any brand.. it is my job to deal with those. Just simply saying that my experience in doing so doesn't match all the nay say you hear from people on the internet. I owned 7-8 Kimbers, mostly purchased used, or through their pro-staff discount, I am now down to one, a Desert Warrior, because it matches my Kimber 8400 Advanced Tactical. They all proved good guns, but I bought sold and traded most away.

Do I think Kimber is the best... no... but for the right prices, I would not hesitate to own one. I think DW is better even with my bad experience on the range with them, but they are often hard to find, and more expensive (but well worth it.) I can say I have personally had more issues with Colt 1911's and Springfield 1911's than I have Kimbers.... Do I think either is a bad company or gun? NO, just the luck of the draw. All were straighted out either by the company, or one of the gun smiths I work for.

As for ads... I don't even see why this is a point? Name a company who DOESN'T have full page ads... better yet name a gun that has gotten a bad review in a gun rag :rolleyes:. It seems people just need something to cry about these days.
 
Kimber has been 50% for me. I have had one of the 12 round 1911 SA Kimber pistols they imported 20 years ago and it has been flawless so far, although finding mags for it now is a real problem. I also had a LDA commander sized .45 that was a nightmare so bad I finally sold it for parts. I keep hearing bad and good on them, less bad now but they seem to go in QC cycles...
 
No problems here

My budy bought the stainles 45 with fixed sights from Bud's and I've gotten a 9mm Target and a 38 super pro carry. We stratch our heads and wonder what people complain about so much because our three are fine.
 
Ten years ago it was 50/50 if you had a reliable pistol from Kimber. For that reason i wouldn't consider buying a Kimber JMHO.
 
Ten years ago it was 50/50 if you had a reliable pistol from Kimber.
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Maybe they've improved some since Cohen drove his clown car over to Sig.

There are still a number of better buys, though.
 
Ten years ago it was 50/50 if you had a reliable pistol from Kimber. For that reason i wouldn't consider buying a Kimber JMHO.
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How would come up with such a guess. :confused: Even ten years ago they were making over 60K pistols a year. If half of them had issues they would be out of business today.
 
for all the problems I hear with break in, are they at least more accurate than the competition? I would understand if they are using match grade barrels with very tight tolerances that cleaning is going to be requirement every hundred rounds or so. I don't own a Kimber, likely never will but I know high end target guns have chamber problems because they were built that way. anything from crappy spec ammo and dirty chambers can cause all sorts of probs in match chambers/barrels. just curious if there is something they are better at doing than the others and couple be the possibility for SOME of the issues when I comes to feed and extraction and failure to battery
 
I bought a new Custom II around 2010. Within the first 500 rounds it threw the front sight. Never could find it. Kimber customer service did me right pretty quickly. I sent them the slide and they put on a new front sight. It shot much more accurately after the fix.

Since that time I have really come to enjoy shooting that gun. I had never shot a 1911 prior to this gun so I don't have any comparison. But it is my favorite pistol of my bunch.

Before I bought the Kimber, I had two friends highly recommend it. It was not until i joined this forum that heard all the Kimber dislike. Maybe it's justified but in my circle of friends, Kimber is well liked.
 
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Yeah, there is something they do better -- it's called "shooting": ;)



The squares are 1-1/2" on a side. 20 yards, cheap factory ammo, off a sandbag. I have shot several Kimbers and consistently get results like this.

I also find them to be very reliable, and as reliable as any 1911 made short of the Bjg Three (EB, WC and Nh).

Accuracy, reliability, looks, great price -- I don't know what else you can want in a firearm.

And it isn't like you fire the first 500 rounds in the dirt or something. You just go shoot the gun and have fun, realizing that you might have to put up with some malfs for a while. If you keep your Kimber and its mags reasonably clean and keep good springs in the mags, you will probably not even have malfs during the breakin period. That has been my experience.

The worst I have seen in breaking in several Kimbers is that one needed its extractor tweaked a bit. Took me all of about 5 minutes.

I like them slightly better than DW and S/A, and a lot more than Ruger, Remington, Colt, etc. Kimbers get bashed on the Internet, but go to a Steel Challenge and see how many competitors are shooting them, and are perfectly happy with them.
 
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